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Updated at 1:11 PM EDT on Tuesday, Oct 22, 2013

Michael Douglas remains hopeful as ever that his marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones will survive their recent separation. The 69-year-old "Last Vegas" star stopped by "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Monday, Oct. 21, where he opened up about his 12-year union to the 44-year-old Welsh actress.

"I've been away for a while, but everything should hopefully be on the up and up," said Michael, who wed the "Playing for Keeps" actress in a lavish ceremony in November 2000. "Sometimes people take a little bit of a break, but it doesn't necessarily mean that's the end. I'm very hopeful." (Over the weekend, the Emmy winner told E! News he's "doing great" and things are looking "onwards and upwards" with Zeta-Jones.)

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Michael added that their children, 13-year-old Dylan and 10-year-old Carys, are "doing great." In fact, one of them is determined to follow in his famous father's footsteps.

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"Dylan doesn't see any reason to do anything else because he wants to act," the "Behind the Candelabra" star shared. "He was at me the other day and he said, 'Look dad, I've been president of my sixth grade, my seventh grade, I'm in eighth grade now and I'm president of the school...I've been on the honor roll for two years straight...Dad, you saw me in 'Oliver.' I played the Artful Dodger.' I said, 'I didn't see anybody else. I thought you were great.' So he says, 'Dad, how about throwing me a bone?' I said, 'Sure, okay. We'll work on it.'"